Placement
by ClosetFMAfan
Summary: The boy had blond hair that was carefully combed away from his face, even though it looked like it was about to fall into his eyes. His eyes were golden, and his smile wide and kind. He wasn't the Fullmetal Alchemist though. AlMei Week 2014.


**You know, usually I get really annoyed with people who post Crossovers on the main page, but since this wasn't really written for the crossover part but the AlMei part and it's not really QUITE a crossover... I made an exception.**

**This is the prompt I was looking forward to the most. I've wanted to write the FMA characters in the Harry Potter world for FOREVER. My ideas about where they would all be sorted come mostly from schellibie's picutre FMA-Interhouse Relations on DA. You should check it out.**

**And I am very very very very very proud to dedicate this fic to the awesomeness that is IVY SHORT. It's her birthday today! (well, for the next 40 minutes) HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVY. You have her to thank for every word I have ever penned for this fandom. WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEOPLE.**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY!**

**Also: Read this all in a British accent in your head. It makes it just that much more awesome.**

* * *

_Please put me in Ravenclaw._

_Ravenclaw?_

_Yes, Ravenclaw. I need to be in Ravenclaw._

_Because your true love is in Ravenclaw?_

_Yes._

_Are you sure? You have the traits for Slytherin. I sense plenty of ambition in you, you want to be great. You want to be loved. You'll do anything to prove it._

_I can't be in Slytherin! Everyone hates Slytherins! He'll never look twice at me!_

_What about Hufflepuff? You're dedicated and hard working. And loyal, very loyal._

_But… I need to be in Ravenclaw…_

_Or better yet, oh, there's courage. So much courage._

_I'm smart!_

_Yes, you are. And very talented, I won't deny it._

_So… Ravenclaw?_

_Are you sure? _

There was a pause.

"Gryffindor!"

Mei Chang swallowed and took of the hat, handing it to Professor Festeller. The man smiled at her and she turned slightly pink as she hurried towards the table that was now yelling and screaming. Across the hall she saw her half-brother Ling wink at her. She looked past him though towards the table that wasn't reacting that much, Ravenclaw. He was hard to see in the mass of students, but as Kathy Durnell became a Hufflepuff she finally caught sight of him.

Mei's heart squeezed. It would be much harder to catch his attention and his favor in Gryffindor, but if she worked hard enough, became important enough he was sure to pay attention to her.

The worst part was that the blond didn't even look her direction the entire night. He didn't even know she existed.

* * *

"Well if it isn't my favorite little sister!" Mei barely spared Ling a glance up from her textbook.

"What do you want?"

"Come on, Mei, you haven't even talked to me since we parted ways on the Hogwarts Express. I promise I won't get evil Slytherin cooties all over you." He sat down without asking permission and closed her textbook.

"Hey!"

"Look people in the eye when you're talking to them," he admonished in response. "You don't mind if Lan Fan joins us too?" The girl was hovering at his shoulder and Mei had the feeling (knowledge from experience) that she would stand there at his shoulder the entire time even if Mei didn't want her there.

"So you'll ask if your guard dog can sit with us but not if you can sit with me?"

"Pretty much. So have you been liking your classes?" Lan Fan sat down. Mei eyed the girl. She had never really been quite sure what to think of her brother's best friend. She was incredibly shy and never talked unless talked to, but for some reason as soon as her brother had met her she had become his best friend. Despite the flaw in judgment, Mei usually didn't any problems with Lan Fan, though she still wasn't sure how she ended up in Slytherin.

"I've been doing pretty well. I really like Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Professor Mustang is a great teacher. He's a lot better than the teacher they had my first year. That guy was so old I don't think he even knew half of our names. It was time for him to retire."

"He really seems like someone who knows what he's talking about."

"He was an Auror for a few years, but then Professor Black invited him to teach and he took the job. A lot of people think he's dating Madame Hawkeye, but no one's ever been able to prove it." Mei's jaw dropped. Surely her brother was joking with her?

"The flying instructor?"

"Yes. Apparently they used to be Aurors together, but when he got this job she applied for that position. Every time you ask Mustang about it though he'll just tell you that she was one of the best players on the Gryffindor Quidditch team when she was at school and deserves the position. Which just coincidently doesn't answer our questions about whether she asked for the job so that they could stay together."

"That's so romantic."

"Isn't it?" Ling said disinterestedly, looking around the rest of the room. "Oh look, there's Alphonse." He stood up and started waving his arms, yelling in a whisper, "Oi, Alphonse! Over here!"

"Ling!"

"What?"

"I came here to study alone!"

"Well too bad." He continued waving his arms and the boy to whom he was waving approached the table. Mei very pointedly stared down at her book, not even looking at him.

"Hey, Ling. How was your summer?" His voice was nice.

"It was okay, Al. What about you?"

"It was great. I love being back at Hogwarts, but I love being home. I actually got to go outside a bit this summer though!"

"Really? That's great! So you're getting stronger?"

"Yeah! I'm still not allowed to eat anything, and Winry wouldn't let me go more than a few yards away from the house, but I spent almost an hour outside every day. And I was only bedridden three times the whole summer!"

Mei frowned, and risked a glance upwards at the boy who was standing at their table. Her heart jumped in her chest slightly before she realized that no, it wasn't him. It just looked a lot like him. The boy had blond hair that was carefully combed away from his face, even though it looked like it was about to fall into his eyes. His eyes were golden, and his smile wide and kind.

"That's great, Al," Ling said, and when Mei glanced at him he actually looked sincere. Which was rare for him.

"What about your summer?"

"It wasn't very eventful. Avoided my dad as much as I could, flew a lot. Lan Fan's going to go out for the Slytherin Quidditch team this year. There's an open spot for a Beater."

"A Beater, really?" the boy, Al, said, frowning at Lan Fan.

"I'm a lot stronger than I look," she answered, staring at him. "And it means I can keep idiots from knocking him off his broom."

Al laughed. He had a nice laugh. "I'll make sure to tell Brother to avoid trying this year."

"My little sister's here this year. Mei, this is Al. Al this is Mei." He smiled at her and Mei smiled back.

"Hi. I'm Alphonse Elric."

Her heart skipped a beat again. "Elric? As in Edward Elric?"

The smile wavered for just a moment before widening. "Yeah. He's my older brother."

"I'm a big fan of his."

"He'll be flattered," Al said kindly. "Right now I'd better get back to him though; I was just picking up a book."

"That's fine," Ling said, waving a hand as if it was his decision to dismiss him. "We'll catch up more later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Al said, smiling at him. "I'll see you later Lan Fan. Nice to meet you Mei."

He turned around and walked away, all three of them watching him leaving.

"He's the Fullmetal Alchemist's brother!" Mei finally hissed in an excited whisper once he disappeared. "Why didn't you tell me that!"

"Al doesn't really like to talk about it. He loves his brother and he's really proud of all of the great things Ed's been able to do, but he doesn't like attention. He especially doesn't like getting attention because of his brother."

"Oh…" Mei said, sinking back into her chair a little.

"He's used to it, though." Mei looked back down at her book, but she couldn't focus on elemental Transfiguration anymore. Not after meeting the Fullmetal Alchemist's brother.

"What did he mean he still can't eat and he was only bedridden three times?" Ling froze slightly, and then looked around the library to make sure that there was no one listening in on their conversation and leaning in. Mei met him so that their heads were close together.

"Listen, Mei, this isn't something that's… public, so try to keep it quiet alright. Like I said, Al doesn't like attention, and he would hate it if everyone in the school knew. And Ed would probably kill me if it got out, so keep it a secret." She nodded.

"Alright… well… You know how Ed's a big alchemist even though he's only fifteen. Well… he and Al were working on something right before Ed came to Hogwarts, they've never told me what and I'm not quite sure it was exactly… legal, but their experiment went wrong. Horribly wrong. And Al got the worst of it. It messed with his body. No one's quite sure what exactly is wrong, if it's some sickness or if it's a condition now, but he gets really sick.

"He can't eat normal food, he hasn't for nearly four years now. The only way he stays alive is by drinking special potions that give him all his nourishments. And he tells me they taste awful. And he can't quite… feel right."

"What do you mean he can't feel right?"

"Something about what they did got rid of his body's ability to feel things. I can touch you and you would feel me, but he can't. He can't feel cold, he can't feel hot, he can't even feel pain. One time he was in Potions and didn't even realize he had stuck his hand in the fire and ended up nearly burning all of his skin off."

"That's awful…"

"And it's not the worst of it. He gets sick all the time. He catches colds and flus really easily, but that's easy enough to heal. But he'll have these episodes that he can't control and end up bedridden and too sick to move for days on end. The fact that it only happened three times over the entire summer is a near miracle."

"I feel so bad for him…" Mei said, staring over to the door where Al had just disappeared.

"He's a good sport about it. I don't know how he manages it, but he's always smiling."

"He seemed so nice."

"He is nice. Well, anyways, got to go little sister. Remember, don't tell anyone. I've got to go."

Ling stood up and left, Lan Fan trailing behind him, leaving Mei alone at her table again, staring at her Transfiguration textbook, not quite able to take in a single word.

* * *

Now that she had met the boy, she seemed to see him everywhere. They never really exchanged any words, and she wasn't even sure that he recognized the fact that she was there a lot of the time, but she couldn't help but pick him out of a crowd.

He was in the library a lot. Usually reading a textbook or scribbling an essay. His hair always feel a bit in his eyes when he spent that long hunched over a table, but he didn't even seem to realize it.

She also began to realize that she wasn't the only one who found herself staring at the Fullmetal Alchemist's brother quite often. She learned that one day in the library when she was searching among the shelves and noticed a group of older Ravenclaw girls giggling over something. She didn't actually ask them what was going on, but after getting around them to get at her book she noticed the person they were staring at was none other than Alphonse.

He brushed his hair out of his face and they began to giggle again. Mei rolled her eyes, grabbed her book, and left.

While she couldn't deny that she understood the girls' fascination with Alphonse, he was very sweet, she couldn't see how they could spend so much time staring at the fourth year when he was brothers with Edward Elric.

Even though he was only in his fifth year at Hogwarts, he was easily one of the most powerful wizards to walk its halls since Albus Dumbledore, who Mei had to admit was probably one of her best teachers. Professor Mustang was a brilliant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but Professor Dumbledore was a genius with Transfiguration.

Of course he was several years older than her, while Edward was only four. And Edward was a great deal more attractive.

If only she could actually find a way to talk with him.

She wanted to do it in a way that he would remember her. They were destined to fall in love of course, but sometimes destiny needed a little help. Her introduction had to memorable. Of course it would be best if she were able to gain a reputation beforehand and then have him come to her, but she would take what she could get.

The problem was that the Fullmetal Alchemist hardly came out of Ravenclaw tower. He showed up for meals and classes and hardly anything else. And since first year Gryffindors rarely crossed paths with fifth year Raveclaws, she was lucky to catch glimpses of him in the halls.

Despite the fact that they were a year apart, anytime that Edward was out of the tower, he and Alphonse could usually be seen together. They obviously didn't like to be separated, and indeed the only time that Mei saw Al without his brother was when he was in the library.

Then finally she couldn't take it anymore.

The Sorting Hat and put her in Gryffindor when she begged it to put her in Ravenclaw. How could she act like a coward after that? The realization came to her in the middle of breakfast in the middle of the Great Hall. She stood up, determined that she was going to go talk to him, right then, right now!

She was just making her way down the Ravenclaw table towards him when she noticed Edward standing up. Had he… had he seen her and started to come talk to her?

No. He was walking towards the Hufflepuff table with a determined look on his face. One of the girls there, one with a long blond ponytail, talking to a dark skinned short haired girl, turned around and stared at him.

"Ed?"

Then the alchemist grabbed her by the hand, pulled her up, and kissed her. There was an immediate outbreak of wolf whistles and cheers, but Mei didn't hear any of it over the sound of her heart breaking.

He pulled away and smiled at her, while the girl stared at him.

"Ed—"

"How dare you!" she screamed. There was silence. The sudden kiss had only really brought the attention of the students in the immediate vicinity, but her shout was loud enough to draw that attention of the whole Hall.

"Huh?"

"You've toyed with the feelings of a pure young maiden, you grain-of-rice-sized boy!"

Immediately he was on the attack. "What was that you grain of rice sized girl?!" How dare he act like this. Toy with her feelings and then break her heart? It was the behavior of a brute!

"Brother, what did you do to that little girl?"

"I haven't done anything!" he protested, the little liar.

"You'll pay for this!" she screamed, not carrying that everyone was watching. "You trampled the feelings of a young maiden! There's going to be hell to pay for you all!"

She wished she knew some good hexes, but they didn't teach that to first years. She didn't know any yet, she'd have to remember to ask Ling for some good ones. She would make him pay oh yes she would make him pay.

* * *

Everyone was whispering. Mei felt her cheeks burning as she stared at the book. She was furious, and she would get her revenge, but for right now she just wanted people to stop pointing and whispering at her.

She was just about to close her book and leave, she'd rather just go back to her dormitory and fall asleep so she didn't have to look at anyone.

It seemed that someone else had different ideas though.

"You're Mei, right? Ling's little sister?"

"Who's asking?" she growled at the page.

"Alphonse Elric."

She looked up sharply. Sure enough, Alphonse Elric stood in front of her, a book tucked under his arm. His expression was kind and Mei hated it. How could he just stand there so calm after what his brother had done to her? Did he come here to gloat?

"What do you want?"

"I'm… really sorry about the way Ed acted. That was completely out of line. He's always been an arrogant little berk. Better with alchemy and figures than people."

Mei stared at him. He looked so remorseful it seemed almost like it was him that embarrassed her in front of the whole school, not his brother.

"… thanks for coming and apologizing."

He continued to stand there and Mei stared at him, waiting to see if he was going to do anything else.

"May I sit here?"

Of all the things she had expected him to say, that was not one of them.

"What?"

"May I sit here?" He was gesturing at the seat across the table from her. Her mouth hung open for a few moments before she finally shrugged.

"I guess."

"Thanks."

He pulled out the chair and sat down, opening his book and pulling a roll of parchment out of his bag. He didn't say anything as a quill and ink joined the parchment on the table. She risked a peek at his paper.

"You have very nice handwriting."

He glanced at her and smiled. "Thank you. I've never really thought it was that good. I had to retrain my hand to write after an accident I had a few years ago. My handwriting used to be very nice."

"I think it still is," she said. "And…" She lowered her voice. "I know about your condition…" He stiffened. "Ling told me."

"… Oh." His voice was strained.

"And even if you are a lot like your brother, I do think that's very impressive."

"Hey! That's pretty rude!" She raised an eyebrow. "I'm much taller than my Brother for one thing. And my face isn't harsh like his. And I'm not short tempered like him. I'm a gentleman."

The words were said with a slightly pride that had Mei smiling at him.

"Alright then, Mr. Alphonse Elric. Will a gentleman help me with my Charms homework?"

"This gentleman would be delighted to."

* * *

They met together for years.

It started just as meetings in the library would they would work on homework together, sometimes whispering conversations at each other. Mei introduced him to the pet that she had been allowed to bring, her panda Xiao Mei, and to Mei's surprise, Xiao Mei took a liking to him.

Then as they continued to talk sometimes they would wander around the halls, then it progressed on pleasant days to walks around the grounds. They would just talk, talk for hours.

Mei's first and Al's fourth year finished. Her second and his fifth finished. He passed his OWLs with flying colors.

It wasn't until halfway through Mei's third year and Al's sixth that anything changed.

They were in the library like usual. They usually started in the library and then went elsewhere if they felt like it. Because they were in different houses their choices as far as being together were limited, but they had an unofficial meeting time and place where they could always be found. They were talking about Al's alchemy homework when Mei smiled at him.

Al felt his stomach do a flip flop in his stomach, a feeling which he had been startling familiar with recently.

It must have shown on his face because her smile faded.

"Al? Is something—"

That's when he acted on the impulse burning in his chest and met his face to hers.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, especially pulling a move like that — really, good job Al, that was genius — but she jumped and pulled away, staring at him with wide dark eyes. He was sure he was a lovely shade of Gryffindor red right now.

"I… I… Mei…"

"Al?" she breathed, eyes still wide in shock.

"I'm… I'm sorry… I don't know what… what came over me…" He dropped his face into his hands. "I'm sorry. I'll just… I'll just go now." He tucked his parchment into his book, grabbed his bag and hurried out of the library as quickly as he could, sure that he was a horrible shade of red. How could he have done something that stupid? Hopefully she'd forgive him and they couldn't forget it ever happened — stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Al!"

He turned just in time to see Madam Skree shoot a magnificent glare before Mei caught up with him.

"Al, you don't… You don't have to apologize…"

"No, it's okay, it was a stupid move and now I've gone and ruined our friendship—"

"No, Al I liked—" she flushed a color that was about the same shade as her tie. "I… I liked it."

"You… what?"

"I… I liked it. I… oh—" Then she decided to forgo trying to explain with words and instead reached up to grab the front of collar of his shirt, effectively dragging him down enough that she could kiss him. Al felt his heart jump into his throat. Then a smile slowly formed against her lips and he bent down, circling her tiny waist with one arm and reaching the cupping the back of her head with the other hand.

They separated reluctantly, but Al could feel his lungs crying out for air. Mei dropped down onto flat feet, smiling at him with a bit of a blush dusting her cheeks.

"Um… may I walk you to the portrait of the Fat Lady?"

"Yes. Yes you may."

* * *

Al was grinning when he knocked on the raven door knocker that night. It spat out a question, something that he answered easily, and then opened. He was expecting on heading up to his dormitory and grinning at the ceiling thinking of nothing else but the way her lips tasted or the way her hair in his hair felt like. He was not however expecting the sudden sobs and mob that seemed to descend upon him the moment he walked inside.

He felt himself pulled in every direction and was forced to tug his bad and his jumper out of several hands. Someone had launched themselves around his neck and was crying into his shoulder.

Al was quite relieved when he heard the shouts of someone he recognized quite well.

"Off! Off! Away with you all! You vultures!"

He gratefully accepted his brother's offered hand to help pull him out of the mass of what seemed to be heartbroken girls. They all sobbed and one of them wouldn't let go of his jumper. Ed quickly solved the problem though by pulling out his wand. She let go fairly quickly after that.

The elder Elric practically dragged Al into his dormitory, ignoring the fact that he technically wasn't supposed to be in the younger year boys' dormitories.

"Brother… what was…"

Ed gave him a searching gaze with his gold eyes, then raised an eyebrow.

"Mei Chang? Really?"

* * *

**I was originally planning on taking it a lot further, but it started getting really late and a lot longer than I thought it would be so I had to cut if off somewhere and I really wanted to add the bit about all the girls being heartbroken because that was what originally inspired a Harry Potter Au/Crossover in the first place so... :D**


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